The Report
by Nightingale song
Summary: A while after the clouds covered the surface a satellite was put in place to monitor it and to report if there ever were any signs of life. This is the reaction to that report. new summary only, this is not finished and the grammar inside is just as bad.
1. the satellite

**Hello this is my first matrix fanfiction. I have borrowed ideas from here and there and not all of themI can remember where they come from so if I offened anyone then I am sorry. I am working on another story at the moment so this might be updated slowly although reviews do help remind me;) **

**If characters are out of character then I'm sorry I haven't seen the films for a while and I didn't like some of the characters anyway.**

**Disclaimer: You recognise it, I don't own it.**

**Thank-you to Lady Rheena who's story gave me the inspiration to write this one. I hope it is as good.**

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The survey satellite hovering above the thick storm-clouds that covered Earth's barren surface was not intelligent. It had been put there 500 years ago to report every sign of anything unusual. It maintenance was done every 50 years but apart from that no-one touched it and nothing was sent to or from it. In fact its very existence would be disputed if people realised it was there, it could easily be used elsewhere, but most were not aware. It was there though and so when the_ Logos_ appeared above the clouds into the sunlight the satellite recognised a heat signature and started recording. It added the fact that humans were on the craft for the sole reason that it had found two shapes that were at a constant temperature of 37 degrees centigrade. It was not aware of the improbability of this, just of the fact that this was what it sensed. It sent the transmission, as programmed, to the moon, a nearly deserted military base now, holding only 1000 individuals instead of the 1 million civilians it had been designed for. No-one wanted to be so close to such an obvious reminder of the machine war that had supposedly wiped out all life on their home planet three quarters of a millennia ago. The satellite was not aware of the shock and amazement that ran through the base leading to the message being sent to the headquarters of the military and civilian organisations now on Mars. Within 10 minutes a message had been sent back, the survey team was to go and explore this instead of the scheduled trip to a new comet that had appeared. There was a remote possibility of the satellite malfunctioning but while many people almost hoped for this it was not likely. While mankind had learned from its most obvious mistake, at least for a while, and there were no AI machines any more, the machines that did exist were of the highest speck and updated regularly. There was little chance of anything going wrong and less so in something only designed to observe. It was for these reasons then that the _Tiala _reached the satellite less than 3 hours after the _Logos_ first appeared above the clouds.

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It's short I know but it is only the prologue and I couldn't go on without putting the first chapter in which I really didn't want to do. 


	2. the survey ship

The _Tiala _reached the satellite less than 3 hours after the _Logos_ first appeared above the clouds.

'Well, it's not malfunctioning. I've run a full diagnostic and there's nothing wrong.' Ad said to Lou, his mission partner.

Ad's real name was Adrian Coumarin but he hated it and so everyone knew him as Ad. It was reputed that he had even put it down on his application form when he was joining survey but no-one had ever asked him. He had an unusual combination of blue eyes and brown hair that suited his face shape. Everything else about his appearance could be described as average and so he made up for this with his personality.

While both had all the training necessary to do all the jobs on the ship Ad had more training in the mechanics of the ship and how the systems worked while Lou had more medical training. They split the rest of the work fairly evenly between them and so Ad would usually do samples from wherever they surveyed while Lou would map although every now and again they swapped over for a bit of variety. They worked well and each others strengths, in work and in their personalities, complemented each other. This had made them one of the best survey teams around.

'Wasn't expecting it to be.' Inwardly Lou sighed 'We get to find out what is on the surface then.'

This mission hadn't been an ordinary one. First off they had been told that if they wanted to back out then they could. They were to find out what it was the satellite had found and find out the situation on the planet if they could.

'Buckle up tight then. This is going to be a rough ride.' With that Lou turned and headed down into the clouds.

Louise Walsh was tall and thin with long reddish brown hair that was always trying to escape from the ties that held it in place and dark brown eyes. She was not normally spooked, in fact someone had once said that anything could happen and she would pause for a moment then say 'Okay' and carry on what she was doing. They were wrong. Travelling at high speed through clouds, so thick you couldn't see anything outside, and a massive thunderstorm in a metal ship spooked her. Even more so when she realised that the blue she was seeing was an electrical storm.

'St. Elmo's fire is good luck isn't it?' She asked Ad.

'If it isn't we're toast.' His attempt at humour fell flat, mainly because he looked terrified.

When they finally emerged from the clouds, they were shocked by what they saw. There was an abandoned city below them, populated by machines, and as far as the eye could see there was either barren wasteland or machine city in every direction. Just as Lou was about to turn away and see if the rest of the planet was like this something caught her eye. When she took a closer look she realised it was the ship the satellite had seen above the clouds. It looked like it had crashed. Ad had spotted it too.

'Going in for a closer look?'

'Yep.' She looked at it for a minute and commented to Ad 'Looks like she crashed.'

'Yeah. One very faint sign of life. I would say they should be dead from how faint it is but it's moving slightly.'

They came to an agreement to go onboard the ship and if possible or necessary to help them. Lou, guessing she would need it, brought along the med kit.

When they got there, there was a bloody handprint on the outside of the windscreen. From the position of it, it had to have been made by someone leaving the ship.

'No signs of life so far.' Ad called to Lou from the lower decks. 'Uhr. We've got a body… and a big mess. Looks like there was a fight.'

Lou checking upstairs saw the body on the floor first, then the rods, looking back she saw what must of happened for this to happen. She checked quickly for a pulse.

'Ad! Found her. You're right she is still alive, just.'

'Can you help her.'

'Probably. Whether she'll wake again is another question though.'

A while later, when she had finished treating the woman and they had moved her to the _Tiala_ they moved outside again to see if they could find the owner of the handprint and to have a look around. So far no-on and nothing had attacked them but that didn't mean they wouldn't. There was only one path they could take and cautiously with all senses alert they walked along it. When they turned a corner, they were still not expecting to see the _Deux ex machine _although no-one would have blamed them for it.

'You have arrived here.' It was addressing its remark to Ad as Lou had seen the man lying on the grating and gone to help him while Ad had been staring in shock.

'What are you. And what have you done to him.'

'I am, if you like the god of machines. We have done nothing to him. He made a bargain with us. If he could defeat Smith then we would have peace. He has done so, which is why you have not been harmed. You are not from this world.' It was not a question.

'What do you mean and who is Smith.'

'Unfortunately I cannot tell you this if you do not know. I could tell you but you would not understand and this would be a waste of energy.'

'Okay' Turning most of his attention away from the machine for a minute he asked Lou 'How is he?'

'Alive, Just about. I don't understand what is wrong with him apart from his eyes though and that isn't enough damage to cause him to be like this.'

The machine answered her question. 'He connected to the matrix from here and this has drained him. His mind does not have enough energy to get back to his body.'

'I didn't understand any of that.' Lou might of but Ad was confused.

'There is a city called Zion that you must go to if you want to have your questions answered. We will give you the co-ordinates.'

'But…'

'Go now.'

They left, taking the human with them.

When they got to their ship, they discussed what to do next.

'I don't know. We have three options as I see it. One we go back to base with these two and find out what they know. Two we go to Zion. Three we go around this planet and see what we can find. I say option one.'

Trust Lou to think about it logically 'I have to agree. We don't know if he is telling the truth about Zion and its not some trap. I couldn't see anything other than this from the ship earlier and we can always come back.'

'So were going back then.' At Ad's nod Lou continued. 'You start this baby up and I'll secure our passengers for the trip.'

Later on, travelling back past the satellite. Lou asked 'What was that thing saying about a Matrix.?'

'I don't know. The only explanations I can think of don't seem to make sense.'

'Do you think it has anything to do with those metal things in them?' As she said this Lou jerked her head back indicating their passengers.

'I don't know. You're the medic. I'm just a lowly mechanic.'

Lou nearly snorted with laughter at Ad's expression when he said this but instantly grew sober again and shuddered. 'I don't know but I'll tell you one thing. Those things ain't coming out. They look like they are joined to their nervous systems. They must have been put in at birth, the skin around has totally accepted them as well. Freaky.' At this point she slid out of her seat to check on them, effectively ending all conversation and leaving Ad to his thought's.


End file.
